CVE-2008-6157 in Classified Ads
Summary
by MITRE
SepCity Classified Ads stores the admin password in cleartext in data/classifieds.mdb, which allows context-dependent attackers to obtain sensitive information.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/21/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2008-6157 affects SepCity Classified Ads software where administrative credentials are stored in plain text within the database file data/classifieds.mdb. This represents a critical security flaw that directly violates fundamental principles of credential protection and data security. The cleartext storage of administrative passwords creates an immediate and severe risk for systems running this software, as any attacker with access to the database file can directly extract administrative credentials without requiring additional exploitation techniques.
This vulnerability stems from poor secure coding practices and inadequate data protection mechanisms within the application's data storage architecture. The flaw exists at the data persistence layer where sensitive information should be encrypted or hashed before storage, but instead remains in readable format. The database file data/classifieds.mdb serves as the attack surface where attackers can simply open the file using standard database tools to view stored credentials. This represents a classic example of weak credential storage that aligns with CWE-312 (Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information) and CWE-259 (Use of Hard-coded Credentials).
The operational impact of this vulnerability is substantial and multifaceted. Attackers with access to the database file can immediately escalate privileges and gain full administrative control over the classified ads system. This access enables them to modify or delete classified listings, alter user accounts, access private user data, and potentially use the system as a foothold for further attacks within the network. The context-dependent nature of this vulnerability means that the attack vector requires local access to the database file or the server hosting the application, but once achieved, the consequences are severe and immediate.
From a threat modeling perspective, this vulnerability maps directly to ATT&CK technique T1566 (Phishing for Information) and T1078 (Valid Accounts) as attackers can leverage stolen administrative credentials to maintain persistent access. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1531 (Account Access Removal) when considering the potential for credential misuse to compromise system integrity. Organizations using SepCity Classified Ads are particularly vulnerable if the database file is accessible through misconfigured permissions or if attackers can exploit other vulnerabilities to gain file system access. The lack of proper encryption or hashing mechanisms violates security best practices and demonstrates inadequate security controls at the application level.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate database encryption implementation, proper file system permissions enforcement, and credential management improvements. The database file should be encrypted using strong encryption algorithms, and administrative credentials should be stored using proper hashing with salted passwords rather than cleartext storage. System administrators must implement proper access controls to limit database file access to authorized personnel only. Additionally, regular security audits should verify that sensitive information is not stored in insecure formats, and application updates should address the root cause by implementing proper credential storage mechanisms that comply with industry standards such as NIST SP 800-63B for password storage requirements.